Sunday, February 5, 2012

Super Bowl Sunday!

Happy February everyone! This month, as it has ever since 1988, kicked off with my birthday. I had a very nice day and I felt love come from people back home and here as well. One of my friends made me a peach pie, per my request. Feeling somewhat guilty about eating an entire pie by myself, I chose to take it along to my small group meeting on Wednesday night and share it with the group. Many people here don't know how old I am and most when they guess go on the high side, maybe it has something to do with the balding nature of my head. I turned 24 and can't really say it has a different feel than 23, but it's nice I guess. 

My basketball team at Rosslyn had their first games this past week. I must say that coaching, even at the middle school level, is more nerve racking than being able to be out on the court yourself. Unfortunately we lost both games and the losses have stuck with me, especially Thursday's game, more than I thought they would. I've never considered myself an overly competitive person, but coaching has brought out whatever bad feelings I have towards losing in a whole new way. I'm happy with the boys' effort in the first two games and I'm confident that we will get in the win column soon.

Yesterday to celebrate a birthday of a friend, I had the opportunity to go along with a group of people to climb Mt. Longonot. Mt. Longonot is a dormant volcano that boasts a massive crater. The elevation is somewhere over 9000 ft. and the hike to the rim of the crater is fairly challenging. After you reach the rim it is another 11 km. to walk all the way around, which gives you an idea of just how big it is. I imagine we hiked somewhere around 10 miles, so needless to say I was kind of tired by the end. The views were amazing (see pictures below) and once again was a reminder of how creative and wonderful our God is.

The last couple of weeks have been pretty normal. Life here has fallen into a fairly normal routine and there isn't much to report on. I keep trying to focus on each day as it comes and not look forward to what is to come. Having said that I am quite excited about the Super Bowl tonight. I haven't watched an NFL game since I've been here, so to be able to watch tonight's game is going to be quite the treat. Making it even better, obviously, is the fact that my Giants are playing and of course will win. How do I know they will win you may ask? Well, the last time the Giants played in the Super Bowl (2008 against the Pats) I wore one of my Liberty t-shirts. I just so happen to still have that t-shirt and when Chad came to visit me he brought it with him. I actually asked him to bring another shirt, but he brought the wrong one and until the other day I didn't think anything of it. Now I know why it is he brought it, so that I can wear it again for tonight's game. Of course I'm not superstitious at all, but it can't hurt that I'll be wearing the same shirt.

A view of Mt. Longonot from the road.

My hiking companions.

A view from the peak.


Lake Naivasha in the distance.

A view of the crater wall from the peak.

The crater.